Machine-dispensable balloon package



p 1967 A. H. RAKOWITZ MACHINE-DISPENSABLE BALLOQN PACKAGE Filed Sept. 23, 1965 4616464444 A PA/K OW/T Z United States Patent 3,339,717 MACHINE-DISPENSABLE BALLOON PACKAGE Abraham H. Rakowitz, 1275 E. 5th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11230 Filed Sept. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 489,583 9 Claims. (Cl. 20647) This invention relates generally to packaging, and is especially concerned with the packaging of balloons.

As is well known .to those versed in the art, attempts to dispense balloons from machines have been subject to serious problems, including excessive packaging expense, frequent jamming of packages and consequent malfunctioning of the dispensing machine, and other difiiculties. Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a balloon package which overcomes the problems mentioned above, is extremely simple and lnexpensive in construction, affords foolproof and reliable dispensing from machines, and wherein the package may be advantageously employed by the consumer in conjunction with the balloon.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a balloon package having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, which is neat and attractive in appearance, durable in handling, and economical in manufacture, to effect substantial savings in distribution of balloons by automatic vending.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction will be FIGURE 4 is a sectional elevational view illustrating utilization of the instant package in a dispensing machine.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view showing the package of the instant invention in use conjointly with a balloon.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIGURES 1-3 thereof, a package is there generally designated 10, and includes a pair of stiff bendable outer panels 11 and 12, which may be of generally rectangular-outline configuration and arranged in congruent facing relation. At one pair of adjacent ends, the panels 11 and 12 may be hingedly connected together by suitable hinge means, such as a fold line 13. The panels 11 and 12 are each formed with a relatively large through opening, as at 14 and 15, which openings may be round and are located in registry with each other adjacent to and spaced from the fold line 13. The openings 14 and 15 may each include a radial slit, as at 16 and 17, respectively, which slits overlie each other when the panels 11 and 12 are in facing relation. In addition, the panels 11 and 12 are each formed with a second through opening or hole, as at 18 and 19, respectively, which openings are in registry with each other when the panels are in facing relation. The openings or holes 18 and 19 are spaced from the openings 14 and 15, remote from the hinge means 13, and may be of a size smaller than the openings 14 and 15. As will appear presently, the openings 18 and 19 are advantageously sized to receive the neck of a balloon, while 3,339,717 Patented Sept. 5, 1967 the openings 14 and 15 are preferably sized for fingergrip action by a user. As in the condition of FIGURE 3, the integrally formed panels 11 and 12 may be considered as a single board 20, the fold line 13 extending transversely across a medial region of the board. The board 20 is of generally rectangular, elongate configuration, and upon folding about its medial fold 13, the panels 11 and 12 are of generally congruent, rectangular configuration.

. In addition to the board 20, the balloon package 10 includes a generally rectangular inner sheet 21 of a size smaller than the board 20, and also formed with a transversely extending fold line or crease 22 in a medial region of the sheet. The fold line 22 sub-divides sheet 20 into a pair of generally congruent, overlying or facing layers 23 and 24, when the sheet is folded about its fold line. In practice, the board 20 may be of relatively Stiff, but bendable material, such as card stock, while the sheet 21 may be of relatively flexible bendable material, such as paper. While any suitable paper may be employed for the sheet 21, waxed paper has been found advantageous.

In assembly with the board 20, the sheet 21 is folded to swing the layers 23 and 24 into facing relation, and the facing layers are interposed between the facing panels 11 and 12, with the sheet fold 22 adjacent to the board fold 13, as best seen in FIGURE 2. In this condition, the sheet layers 23 and 24 extend across respective panel openings 14 and 15, serving to close the openings in the manner of windows.

The completed package 10 includes a balloon 26 usually formed with an enlarged portion or body part 27 extending to a reduced portion or neck 28 which terminates in an open, beaded or curled mouth 29. The balloon 26 is interposed between the facing panels 11 and 12 with its body part extending across the openings 18 and 19. The balloon neck 28 extends toward the fold 13, such that the beaded mouth 29 is interposed between the sheet layers 23 and 24 within the openings 14 and 15. In this manner, the panels 11 and 12 may lie substantially parallel or fiat, as the bulk or thickness of the beaded mouth 29 is received in the panel openings 14 and 15, by deflection of the flexible sheet layers 23 and 24. However, the sheet layers 23 and 24 retain the balloon mouth within the openings 14 and 15 to prevent its projection outward therethrough, and thereby obviate dispensing difficulties.

The dispensing apparatus and operation may be seen from FIGURE 4, a housing there being designated 31 and having an upstanding front wall 32 formed with a dispensing slot 33. A shelf 34 extends inward fromv the lower edge of dispensing slot 33, and an inner wall 35 upstands from the inner end of the shelf 34. A pull rod 36 is slidably mounted in the front wall 32 below the slot 33, including a knob 37 on its outer end and an up standing pusher 38 on its inner end. The pusher 38 moves horizontally back and forth through the rear region of shelf 34 upon push-and-pull actuation of the knob 37. A stack of packages 10 may rest on the shelf 34, the lowermost package being in alignment with the slot 33. Upon forward movement of the pusher 38 from its rearmost position, as by pulling of the knob 37, the lowermost package 10 is shifted forward partially through the slot 33. The stack of packages 10 is arranged with the package folds 13 adjacent to the forward housing wall 32, so that the package fold emerges first upon pulling of the knob 37. The relatively large panel openings 14 and 15 are located exteriorly of the front housing wall 32 for gripping engagement by a users fingers, as at 39 and 40, whereby the package may be fully extracted through the slot 33. The rod 36 is then shifted rearward to permit falling of the stack of packages 10 to place the lowermost package on the shelf 34 ready for dispensing.

In use, it is only necessary to open package 10, as by.

swinging the panels 11 and 12 away from each other to free the contained balloon 26 for removal. The inner sheet 21 may also be removed. After the balloon is blown, as at 26a in FIGURE 5, the balloon neck 28a may be passed through the registering openings 18 and 19 of facing panels 11 and 12, and the balloon mouth 29a engaged through the registering openings 14 and 15 and thence forcibly into aligned slits 16 and 17. In this condition, the panels 11 and 12 are retained in their facing relation and provide a base for supporting the blown balloon 26a, while retaining the latter in its inflated condition.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present-invention provides a balloon package which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is otherwise adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine-dispensable balloon package comprising a pair of stiff bendable panels in facing relation, hinge means connecting together one pair of adjacent edges of said panels for relative swinging movement of said panels into and out of said facing relation, said panels each having a first opening adjacent to said hinge means in registry with each other, said panels each having a second opening in registry with each other and spaced from said first opening, a pair of facing inner sheets removably interposed between said panels extending across said first openings, and a balloon removably interposed between said panels and having its mouth interposed between said sheets within said first openings.

2. A balloon package according to claim 1, said panels being integrally fabricated of a single board, and said hinge means being defined by a fold line in said board.

3. A balloon package according to claim 1, said inner 4 sheets being integral and connected together by a fold.

4. A balloon package according to claim 1, said panels being of elongate configuration, and said hinge means connecting together one pair of adjacent end edges of said panels.

5. A balloon package according to claim 1, said second openings being of a size sufficient to receive the balloon neck, and said first openings being larger than said second openings to provide a finger grip.

6. A machine-dispensable balloon package comprising a generally rectangular stiff board having a transverse medial fold subdividing the board into a pair of generally congruent panels folded into facing relation with each other, said panels each having a first opening adjacent to said fold and in registry with each other, said panels each having a second opening in registry with each other and spaced from said first opening, an inner sheet folded upon itself to define a pair of facing layers and removably interposed between said panels extending across said first openings and having its fold adjacent to the fold of said board, and a balloon removably interposed between said panels and having its mouth interposed between said sheet layers within said first openings.

7. A balloon package according to claim 6, said board being fabricated of card stock.

8. A balloon package according to claim 6, said sheet being of paper.

9. A balloon package according to claim 6, said second openings being of a size sufiicient to receive a balloon neck, and said first openings being larger than said second openings to provide a finger grip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1916 Dodge 20646 2/1946 Leslie 206-47 

1. A MACHINE-DISPENSABLE BALLOON PACKAGE COMPRISING A PAIR OF STIFF BENDABLE PANELS IN FACING RELATION, HINGE MEANS CONNECTING TOGETHER ONE PAIR OF ADJACENT EDGES OF SAID PANELS FOR RELATIVE SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID PANELS INTO AND OUT OF SAID FACING RELATION, SAID PANELS EACH HAVING A FIRST OPENING ADJACENT TO SAID HINGE MEANS IN REGISTRY WITH EACH OTHER, SAID PANELS EACH HAVING A SECON OPENING IN REGISTRY WITH EACH OTHER AND SPACED FROM SAID FIRST OPENING, A PAIR OF FACING INNER SHEETS REMOVABLE INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID PANELS EXTENDING ACROSS SAID FIRST OPENINGS, AND A BALLON REMOVABLY INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID PANELS AND HAVING ITS MOUTH INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SHEETS WITHIN SAID FIRST OPENINGS. 